chink
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Of uncertain origin, but apparently an extension (with diminutive -k) of Middle English chine, from Old English ċine (“a crack, chine, chink”), equivalent to chine + -k.
Alternatively, the -k may represent an earlier unrecorded diminutive, perhaps from Middle English *chinek, making it equivalent to chine + -ock (diminutive ending).
Noun
chink (plural chinks)
- A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack.
- 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 2, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 10:
- What a pity they didn’t stop up the chinks and the crannies though, and thrust in a little lint here and there.
- [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
- Yet I did not give way, but settled to wait for the dawn, which must, I knew, be now at hand; for then I thought enough light would come through the chinks of the tomb above to show me how to set to work.
- 1834–1838 (date written), Thomas Babington Macaulay, “(please specify the page)”, in Lays of Ancient Rome, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1842, →OCLC:
- Through one cloudless chink, in a black, stormy sky, / Shines out the dewy morning star.
- A narrow beam or patch of light admitted by such an opening.
- I noticed a chink of light under the door.
- 2023 March 22, Mel Holley, “Network News: RMT to ballot Network Rail members on improved offer”, in RAIL, number 979, page 12:
- A chink of light offering a possible settlement to one part of the rail dispute comes as the RMT is to ballot its members at Network Rail on whether to accept an improved offer.
- A chip or dent in something metallic.
- The warrior saw a chink in her enemy's armor, and aimed her spear accordingly.
- (figuratively) A vulnerability or flaw in a protection system or in any otherwise formidable system.
- The chink in the theory is that the invaders have superior muskets.
- 2011 January 30, Kevin Darling, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Huddersfield”, in BBC[1]:
- The first chink in Arsenal's relaxed afternoon occurred when key midfielder Samir Nasri pulled up with a hamstring injury and was replaced.
Derived terms
Translations
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Verb
chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
- (transitive) To fill an opening such as the space between logs in a log house with chinking; to caulk.
- to chink a wall
- (intransitive) To crack; to open.
- (transitive) To cause to open in cracks or fissures.
Derived terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic.
Noun
chink (countable and uncountable, plural chinks)
- (countable) A slight sound as of metal objects touching each other; a clink.
- 2020, Abi Daré, The Girl With The Louding Voice, Sceptre, page 138:
- She swallow, set the cup down like she want to break it, and the ice-blocks jump, make a chink sound.
- (uncountable, colloquial, dated, now rare) Ready money, especially in the form of coins.
- 1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of, Nebraska, published 1987, pages 47–8:
- I thought that if all the hills about there were pure chink, and all belonged to me, I would give them if I could just talk to her when I wanted to […]
- 1727, William Somerville, Occasional Poems, "The Fortune-Hunter":
- to leave his chink to better hands
- 1855, Henry Augustus Wise, Tales for the Marines, page 121:
- At the same time, mind, I must have a bit of a frolic occasionally, for that's all the pleasure I has, when I gets a little chink in my becket; and ye know, too, that I don t care much for that stuff, for a dollar goes with me as fur as a gold ounce does with you, when ye put on your grand airs, and shower it about like a nabob.
- 1904, Edith Nesbit, The New Treasure Seekers, Chapter 2:
- "I believe I could make a pudding that wasn't plain, if I tried," Alice said. "Why shouldn't we?"
"No chink," said Oswald, with brief sadness.
"How much would it cost?" Noël asked, and added that Dora had twopence and H.O. had a French halfpenny.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
- (intransitive) To make a slight sound like that of metal objects touching.
- The coins were chinking in his pocket.
- (transitive) To cause to make a sharp metallic sound, as coins, small pieces of metal, etc., by bringing them into collision with each other.
- 1728, [Alexander Pope], “Book the First”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin, London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC, page 2:
- He chinks his purse
Translations
Etymology 3
Noun
chink (plural chinks)
- Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”)
Verb
chink (third-person singular simple present chinks, present participle chinking, simple past and past participle chinked)
- Alternative form of kink (“gasp for breath”)
Etymology 4
Noun
chink (plural chinks)
- Alternative letter-case form of Chink
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